No New Year's Eve Knees-up For Londoners

Written by Graham Tope on Thu 5th Dec 2002

As Big Ben begins to strike, where – and how - will you be welcoming in the New Year? If you were hoping to attend a large-scale event, parade or fireworks organised by the Mayor, you will be disappointed. With nothing planned, Ken Livingstone's advice is to stay away from central London – you'll have 'more fun at home' according to him.

When London finally got its own Mayor, many thought that at last the capital would get a New Year's Eve event to rival those of Edinburgh, New York, Sydney and Paris. But this year, yet again, instead of spectacular fireworks London's celebrations will be more like a damp squib.

Back in March 2001, I was a member of a London Assembly committee investigating the failed celebrations of New Year's Eve 2000. We recommended that to avoid a similar fiasco, the Mayor begin planning straightaway to stage an event for 2002.

A few months later, the Mayor publicly announced that he was looking at staging possible events for 2002. But the hopes have come to nothing as, like a stuck record of Auld Lang Syne, he has failed once again to deliver. While the rest of the world celebrates with well-organised public events, Londoners will have nothing.

This year, there isn't even the opportunity of celebrating in Trafalgar Square. In October the Mayor announced that this traditional location for celebrations would be closed for safety reasons. Ken Livingstone has had plenty of time to find an alternative location, but the only plans are to merely 'plank over the grass' at Parliament Square.

The Mayor says he's keen to see a New Year's Eve celebration in central London suitable to a world city. However, his vision for future events does not seem to match that of many Londoners. He has offered little so far in the way of ideas and contributions - although last year he spoke of staging early evening fireworks events for families, this idea seems to have been shelved. He has also failed to secure the all-night running of the Tube for this year, though this could yet be a possibility in 2003 – if he begins planning now.

Many Londoners would like to gather to celebrate New Year's Eve and for there to be an event to mark the occasion. Although the spontaneous gatherings in parts of central London like Trafalgar Square are a popular option, there needs to be alternatives for everyone, including families, to enjoy.

I suggest the Mayor makes it one of his New Year resolutions to give London a celebration that this great city deserves!